Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1887-08-13
THE NEVADA BOOM.

In his fl st annual report to the
Land Bureau, u. S. Surveyor Gen
eral Irish, OF Nevada. has this to
say about the resources and pros
poets of that State:
Il know of no part of the United
States where farming has larger
or more certain return, than do the
cultivated lands of Nevada. Tillage
depends now upon irrigation, but
observation convinces me that al
falfa and other valuable crops could
BE- raised in many places without
irrigation, or, at most, using for the
purpose the flood waters that rush
out OF the mountain defiles in the
SpringtIme from the early melting
SHOWS.
sThere is much yet to learn of
Nevada's tillable lands, for farming
is in its infancy here. BY the State
reports for January, 1887, / learn
that at that date there were only
12O square miles of titled land in
the State.
"Making an approximate esti-
mate from maps in my possession,
/ find that about $4,000 square
miles of the surface of Nevada is
occupied by mountain ranges; A.
900 of what are classified as des-
erts, and the remaining 1000
square miles is made up Of rich ag-
ricultural land, needing only water
and the care of the husbandman to
produce valuable crops, and give
the State a sturdy, steadfast popula-
ton and increasing wealth, which,
added to the mineral output and
the value of the vast herds of cat
tie, sheep and horses which the
State will support, will put Nevada
in the front rank of States.
ssThe cattle interest is now equal
to, if not ahead of the mining inter
est in value and importance. Great
herds are to be found in every
quarter of the State. The animals
are herded at the foot of the noun
tains and in the valleys during the
Winter season, and in the Summer
upon the mountains. The owners
of these herds perceive that they
have overstocked the country to
such an extent that the bunch grass
and other heritage which made it
valuable as grazing country, are
rapidly disappearing. This fact
has turned their attention to raising
hay for Winter feed, and out of the
demand for hay has come a use for
the States tillable lands in produc-
ton. This demand from this one
source will increase from year to
year, and will be reinforced by
other demands for lands for other
purposes and by other classes.
AS the law now stands it is next
to impossible for the owner of a
herd of cattle to acquire title to the
lands which he must occupy in or
der to successfully carry on his bus
mess. The law should be so
amended as that the mountain and
desert lands may be acquired in
large grazing tracts as cattle ranges,
reserving the water right for use of
those who wish the waters of the
canyons for agricultural purposes
on the plains below. / can see no
reason why these otherwise useless
tracts, so great in area should not
by law be made as available for the
purposes of stock raising, and be-
come consequently a source of rev.
enue to the State and to the Union,
as are the mineral lands which are
80 carefully reserved and made
available to the prospector and min
eral claimant. As it is now, these
vast mountain chains and wide des-
ert plains, are a yearly battle
ground upon which contending
herdsmen meet, and by wager of
battle decide who shall use them.
"It is not equal and exact justice
to all classes of citizens, where the
deliver in one source of wealth is
fully protected in his rights because
ha hoe haar tho lucky diSaoyarar of